How it works
Two minutes a day, at the scalp instead of on the hair
Most hair products never reach the place that matters. Shampoo rinses off. Conditioner coats the strand. Thickening sprays work on hair you already have.
Orthovia is applied to the scalp itself — the skin, at the part line, at the temples, along the hairline. That's the only place a scalp serum can do anything at all.
The routine
01 — Part your hair down to the scalp
Use your fingers or a comb to expose a clean line of skin. If the roller is gliding over hair instead of skin, the serum is landing in the wrong place.
Start with dry or towel-dried hair. Soaking wet hair dilutes the serum before it absorbs.
02 — Roll along the thinning areas
Hairline, temples, crown, part line — wherever you've been checking in photos.
Move the roller in short passes, then shift the part an inch and repeat. Three or four lines across the area is enough. You're aiming for even coverage of skin, not a puddle in one spot.
03 — Massage in for 30 seconds
Fingertips, light pressure, small circles. This spreads the serum between the parts you rolled and gets it onto skin rather than sitting on the surface.
No rinsing. No towel. Nothing else on top.
04 — Repeat morning and night
Roughly a minute each time. Once when you get up, once before bed.
Consistency beats quantity here, and it isn't close. Using it twice a day for eight weeks does more than using it four times a day for two weeks and then forgetting. If you're going to miss one, miss the morning and keep the night.
What to actually expect, week by week
Hair grows about a centimetre a month and a follicle takes weeks to change phase. Nothing about this is fast.
Weeks 1–2 — nothing visible. This is the stage where most people quit. Your scalp may feel slightly different — cleaner, less tight — but there is nothing to see and there shouldn't be.
Weeks 3–5 — the first thing people report. Usually less shedding in the shower drain or on the pillow before anything else. Not everyone notices this and it isn't a requirement.
Weeks 6–8 — the earliest point worth judging. If anything is happening, this is where it tends to show: fine, short hairs along the hairline or at the edges of the part. They're easy to miss unless you're looking for them.
Week 8 onward — decision time. Eight weeks of daily use is a fair test. If you see nothing at that point, our guarantee is still open — email us.
How to track it properly
Small changes are invisible day to day, which is why people convince themselves nothing is happening when something is, and vice versa.
If you're going to photograph your progress, standardise it or don't bother:
- Same light. Not the bathroom on Tuesday and the kitchen on Sunday. Pick one room, one time of day.
- Same angle. Directly overhead for the crown, straight on for the hairline. Take both.
- Same hair state. Dry, unstyled, parted the same side. Wet hair always looks thinner; product always looks fuller.
- Every two weeks, not every day. Daily photos will drive you mad and show you nothing.
Where it fits with everything else
Shampoo and conditioner — fine. Apply the serum after washing and drying, not before.
Styling products — apply the serum first, let it absorb for a minute, then style.
Other scalp oils — no reason to layer them. Pick one routine and give it eight weeks.
Minoxidil or a prescription treatment — ask your doctor or pharmacist before combining. We're not in a position to advise on that.
What it won't do
We'd rather you read this now than find out in week six.
It won't work on areas that have been smooth for years. Once a follicle is gone, no topical serum brings it back. This is for thinning that's still thinning — a part that's widening, a hairline that's moving, temples opening up.
It isn't a drug and isn't a medical treatment. It's a cosmetic scalp serum. It hasn't been evaluated by the FDA and isn't intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition, including hair loss of any type.
It won't do anything in a week. Anyone showing you a seven-day transformation is showing you lighting and a comb.
It won't help if the cause is medical. Sudden loss, patchy loss, loss with scalp pain, scaling or redness — see a dermatologist before spending money on any serum, ours included.
Safety
For external use on the scalp only. Don't apply to broken, irritated or sunburned skin. Keep away from the eyes. Keep out of reach of children.
If you have sensitive skin, patch test on the inner forearm and wait 24 hours before your first full application.
Check with a healthcare professional first if you're pregnant or nursing, have a scalp condition, or are already being treated for hair loss.
Stop using it and get advice if you get irritation, itching or redness that doesn't settle.